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Yasmina Max Is Yango’s Most Advanced Smart Speaker Yet
The new audio device boasts human-like AI capabilities, exceptional sound performance, and effortless voice control.
Tech giant Yango Group has announced its latest flagship smart speaker. According to a recent press release, the new Yasmina Max boasts human-like AI capabilities and exceptional sound performance, redefining the smart home experience.
Yasmina Max features an advanced three-way sound system with five separate drivers to handle bass, midrange and treble, supported by a passive radiator. Rated at 65 watts of power, the speaker should deliver rich, immersive sound in even the largest of rooms.
Thanks to its highly sensitive microphones, Yasmina Max offers effortless voice control, even in noisy environments. For those who crave synchronized music, the new device can also be paired with other Yasmina smart speakers — like the Yasmina Mini or Midi — to enjoy seamless audio throughout the home in Multiroom Mode.
The Yasmina Max features an intelligent LED screen that adapts to ambient lighting for optimal visibility. When idle, the display shows the time. While playing music, it offers dynamic visualizations to bring tunes to life and enhance interactions with the Yasmina assistant.
Finally, at the heart of Yasmina Max is a virtual assistant powered by YangoGPT. Lifelike conversations are possible in both English and Khaleeji Arabic, making it a versatile companion for everyday tasks. Whether you need help with recipes or creative ideas for a surprise party, Yasmina has you covered.
Also Read: Best Music Streaming Services In The Middle East
Senior Innovation Marketing Manager Rami Abu Arja highlighted the Yasmina Max’s aesthetic appeal, stating, “Apart from its superior technological characteristics, Yasmina Max offers a sophisticated design. Available in three colors — green, beige, and black — it is crafted to complement any interior, making it the perfect [home] addition”.
The smart speaker is now available across the UAE, priced at AED 1,199. For a limited time, the speaker is being offered through an exclusive partnership with Virgin Megastore. It is also available online via Noon and, for the first time, Amazon.
News
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.
Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.
The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc
— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026
“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.
Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.
Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget
The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.
Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
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